Bermuda · Caribbean

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Basking in the Atlantic, 508 mi due east of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, restrained, polite Bermuda is a departure from other sunny, beach-strewn isles: you won''''t find laid-back locals wandering around barefoot proffering piña coladas. Bermuda is somewhat formal, and despite the gorgeous weather, residents wearing stockings and heels or, for men, jackets, ties, Bermuda shorts, and knee socks are a common sight, whether on the street by day or in restaurants at night. On Bermuda''''s 21 square mi, pastel cottages, quaint shops, and manicured gardens telegraph a staid, suburban way of life. A British diplomat once said, "Bermuda is terribly middle-aged" -- and in many ways he was right. Most of the island is residential, the speed limit is 20 mi per hour (although many drivers go faster), golf and tennis are popular pastimes, and most visitors are over 40 years old. So are most Bermudians.

A few Bermudians still speak the Queen''''s English, but the majority have their own unique accent, which reflects the country''''s diverse English, American, West Indian, and African influences. The population of just over 60,000 is 63% black, 33% white, and 4% Asian and other. Historically, Bermudians of English descent worked to re-create a middle-class England of their own. And as in so many colonies, the Bermudian version is more insular, more conservative, and more English than the original. Pubs, cricket, and an obsession with protocol are reminders of a distant loyalty to Britain and everything it used to represent. A self-governing British territory since 1968, with a parliament that dates from 1620, Bermuda loves pomp and ceremony. But the British apron strings are wearing thin. Although a referendum on independencefrom Britain was soundly defeated in 1995, the idea bubbles up from time to time. The first labor government -- the Progressive Labour Party (PLP) -- was elected in 1998, taking some Bermudians'''' hopes for identity and autonomy to dizzying heights -- and terrifying others. In 2003, Bermudians were granted the rights of full British citizenship. Great ceremony still attends the convening of Parliament each November. Marching bands parade through the capital in honor of the Queen''''s official birthday, a public holiday. Regimental bands and bagpipers reenact centuries-old ceremonies. And you can still get tea in a china cup.

Since the very beginning, the fate of this small colony in the Atlantic has been linked to that of the United States. The crew of the Sea Venture, whose wreck on Bermuda during a hurricane in 1609 began the settlement of the island, was actually on its way to Jamestown, Virginia. The passenger list of the Sea Venture reads like a "Who''''s Who" of early American history. Onboard were Sir Thomas Gates, deputy governor of Jamestown; Christopher Newport, who had led the first expedition to Jamestown; and John Rolfe, whose second wife was the Native American Pocahontas. In the centuries since, Bermuda has been somewhat of a barometer, registering the evolving relationship between the United States and Britain. In 1775 Bermuda was secretly persuaded to give gunpowder to George Washington in return for the lifting of a trade blockade that threatened the island with starvation. In the War of 1812, Bermuda was the staging post for the British fleet''''s attack on Washington, D.C. When Britain faced a national crisis in 1940, it gave the United States land on Bermuda to builda naval air station in exchange for ships and supplies. In 1990, Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and President George H.¿W. Bush held talks on the island.

The fact that Bermuda -- just two hours by air from New York -- has maintained some of its English character is part of its appeal for the close to half-million Americans (more than 90% of all visitors) who flock here each year. More important, however, Bermuda means sun, sea, and sand. It has a year-round mild climate, pink beaches, turquoise waters, coral reefs, 17th-century architecture, and splendid golf courses. In fact, Bermuda has more golf courses per square mi than anyplace else.